| Kittleson Hits Daily Double:Claims Pete Orr Memorial; Captures World Series Title |
Travis Kittleson celebrates with team in New Smyrna Winners Circle
Landon Cassill took the opening green flag at New Smyrna Speedway on the pole looking to lock up the Championship for Super Late Models in World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing.
He had a slim 4 point lead over Travis Kittleson, starting seventh in a 31 car field.
The fact that Kittleson had been coming on strong all week to catch Cassill in the points was one thing, but there was another catch, an intangible to this race. This, after all was Pete's race; as in the Pete Orr Memorial Orange Blossom 100. This was a race Kittleson, a former protege of Pete Orr, has desperately wanted to win.
In the early going Cassill maintained a strong lead, with John Fitzpatrick and B.J. McLeod holding down the second and third spots. Last years Pete Orr Memorial winner Jeff Choquette (started outside second row) saw his hopes for a repeat fade in the first five laps as he fell off the pace and had to pit under green.
Kittleson set the stage for his victory by quickly moving into third place, and after the first caution around the 20th circuit, he wasted no time getting the second spot from Fitzpatrick. A few laps later, another minor caution tightened the field back up and on the restart Kittleson stayed on the leaders bumper and passed for the lead with a few fast laps around the 1/2 speedway.
Now the focus changed, as Kittleson easily outdistanced the field, which included the likes of Mario Gosselin, David Rogers, Eddie Van Meter, Ted Christopher and Jay Middleton. There was one wild card still left that could dash the hopes for the 88 Steele Chevrolet team, that being Wayne Anderson. When Anderson is in the race at New Smyrna, he can often find a way to win.
Anderson, having started mid pack had steadily been working his way to the front, and by the 1/2 point was picking off the cars running in the top at the rate of one every few laps. In the closing stages of the 100 lap event Anderson had worked his way to the fourth spot, and began to work on Jay Middleton.
Fitzpatrick ran into trouble and went to the pits, and it looked momentarily like Anderson might be able to get to the front, but his bid stalled behind 3rd place Middleton and Chuck Barnes Jr held onto second with Kittleson running in a different race from the rest of the field.
Travis Kittleson celebrated in a wild winner's circle with his team, supporters and the family of Pete Orr, obviously a popular win for the veteran of so many FASCAR races at New Smyrna Speedway. 
Travis Kittleson shares a moment to treasure with members of the Pete Orr family
"After that first caution, the car started vibrating, and it stayed together for the rest of the race", Kittleson said, then pausing he continued, "and I swear it was Pete looking down on us all and kept that thing together, we have wanted to win this thing for three or four years now and it stayed together for us".
Kittleson, a finalist in the Roush Gong show in 2005, not only got the race he wanted so very much to win, he was crowned Super Late Model World Series Champion for 2006.
 Prior to the start of the race Roland Via, the speedway announcer, introduced the family of Pete Orr. He also interviewed veteran David Rogers, who told the packed house at New Smyrna what made Pete Orr a special person.
During the pre-race activities, KARNAC representatives, including Jane Smith, presented the Annual Pete Orr Sportsmanship Award to Brian Finney, Award winner for 2006. For more on the Annual Award visit the Legends section for Florida Stock Car History , and for complete details and final points from the world series visit www.newsmyrnaspeedway.org.
The finishing order for the Pete Orr Memorial Orange Blossom 100 is as follows::
1 Travis Kittleson (88) 2006 Champion
2 Chuck Barnes Jr. (59XXX)
3 Jay Middleton (74)
4 Wayne Anderson (84)
5 Eddie Van Meter (23)
6 Ted Christopher (29)
7 David Rogers (11)
8 B.J. McLeod (78)
9 Mario Gosselin (59X)
10 Donald Long (110X)
11 Patrick Conrad (2)
12 Derrick Kelly (21)
13 Mike Stacey (77)
14 Alan Gordon (29X)
15 Chet Morrison (86)
16 Michael Annette (4)
17 Whorff Motorsports (00)
18 Tim Sibila (49)
19 Terry Smith (25)
20 Landon Cassill (7)
21 John Fitzpatrick (8)
22 Louie Mechalides (47)
23 Dalton Zehr (5)
24 Darrell Midgley (81)
25 Steve Weaver Jr. (12W)
26 Trevor Stewart (91)
27 Gary Terry (3G)
28 Jeff Choquette (70)
29 Wayne Niedecken Jr. (99)
30 Tracey Queliettte (187)
31 Rusty Ebersole (178)
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